5MW Second Phase Solar Plant Commissioned by GMR Hyderabad Airport

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) said yesterday that it has commissioned the 5 MW second phase of its solar power plant, taking its total solar power capacity to 10MW.

The solar plant, set up for captive consumption, is spread over an area of 45 acres and comprises over 30 thousand solar panels that have been installed to generate 10 MW power.

The first phase of 5MW was commissioned in 2015. Following the commissioning of the additional capacity, the Hyderabad airport will be able to reduce its dependency on conventional power by 12 million units per year, resulting in savings of around Rs 90 lakh per month, according to GHIAL.

Both the solar plants are said to have advanced ABB central inverters and poly-crystalline PV panels, which are far more efficient than mono crystalline solar PV panels.

Solar power generation will now not only supply nearly 50% of the total energy requirements of Hyderabad airport, it will also help reduce the carbon footprint by cutting emission of about 28 lakh kg carbon dioxide which is equivalent to saving 1.4 lakh full grown trees, says the company.

GHIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker was quoted as saying that the commissioning of the second phase was a major milestone and critical step in the right direction, and that as a member airport of the ACI (Airports Council International), the airport operator has committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The list of India’s greenfield airports continues to grow. Last year, the Airports Authority of India Limited invited bids to set up a 330 kWp grid-connected solar power system at the then recently commissioned Deoghar airport in Jharkhand state. Like most of its other airports, AAI proposed to have a solar rooftop, and a carport for the solar facilities.

Since then announcements have come from Kerala as well, where the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) informed that it had successfully commissioned one of the biggest floating solar plants in the state — with 452 KWh capacity — to further aid the airport in becoming sustainable by using green energy generated by the plant. NTPC subsidiary NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN) also issued a tender, inviting builds from eligible bidders, for setting up a 2 MW solar PV power plant with net metering at the Agartala Airport in Tripura.